SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Bentley University Falcons scored four runs in the first inning of the opener and rallied from a 4-1 deficit with another four-spot in the seventh inning of the nightcap to sweep American International College, 9-3 and 5-4, in Northeast-10 Conference softball Tuesday at Judy Groff Field.

With the sweep, the Falcons reached the 20-win milestone with the 20-10 overall record including 11-3 conference. In the NE10 standings, Bentley is percentage points back of Franklin Pierce, which has played four less games, in the battle for first.

The opener saw the Falcons ride the combined pitching of junior Payton Doiron (Beacon Falls, Conn./St. Joseph HS) and sophomore Taylor O'Brien (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia HS). Doiron struck out nine in her four innings of work and O'Brien came in for a three-inning save.

Doiron, 9-3, surpassed the 100-strikeout mark for the season and earned her 20^th career victory.

Nine different players scored for Bentley, including senior center fielder Sam Petow (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS), junior shortstop Sabrina Grizzaffi (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield HS) and sophomore left fielder Jordan Krause (San Pedro, Calif./San Pedro HS).

Grizzaffi was 3-for-3 with two RBI, Petow also had three hits and Krause hit a two-run homer. Coming on her 100^th career hit, it was her seventh of the season and 11^th career, extending her own school record.

After scoring only a single run on two hits of game two, Bentley's bats came back alive in the seventh. Junior right fielder Kylee Amato (Bergenfield, N.J./Acad. of the Holy Angels HS) led off with a single to right and scored on a double to left center by Krause. With her two extra base hits in the doubleheader, Krause broke the Bentley single season record for total bases, pushing her total of 83.

Graduate catcher Ella Hillier (Tualatin, Ore./Tualatin HS) followed with an RBI double down the left field line. That was her 48^th career extra base hit, tying the program record. The school record holder for career doubles and RBI also took possession of Bentley's career mark for runs scored when she scored in the opener.

Bentley's comeback continued with senior first baseman Kaylee Mankins (North Attleboro/Bishop Feehan HS) tying the game with an RBI single. A throwing error allowed her to move to second and Grizzaffi made the Yellow Jackets (4-28, 1-11 NE10) pay with her fourth hit of the day. She singled to right center, plating Mankins with the go-ahead run.

AIC opened the bottom of the inning with a double, but sophomore Dahlia Fink (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Mater Dei HS) closed the door by snaring a line drive back at her and getting two ground ball outs. She pitched three shutout innings to win for the eighth time in nine decisions.

Bentley will be back home this weekend for doubleheaders against Southern New Hampshire Saturday and Saint Anselm Sunday.